Chandragiri Fort

The fort at Chandragiri is an ancient fort which is made of hard laterite stones. It was built by the Sivappa Nayaka of Bednore in the 17th century A.D, who established his authority over the area and built a chain of forts. The Chandragiri river on which it rises marked the traditional boundary between kerala and Thuluva kingdom.

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The two sides of the chandragiri fort are facing the sea. The fort has an eventful history to relate... A couple of centuries ago, the river Chandragiri was considered the border of two powerful kingdoms - Kolathunadu and Thulunadu. When Thulunadu was captured by the Vijayanagara Emperor, the Kolathunadu kings lost the Chandragiri region to them. It was only in the 16th century that the great empire of Vijayanagara (presently under the Karnataka State) declined. But later the Ikkeri Naikkars or the Bedanoor Naiks took over the reins of Chandragiri as an independent region. Thus the Chandragiri Fort was built by Sivappa Naik for the defence of his kingdom. The fort changed hands over the years to Hyder Ali of Mysore and then to the British East India Company.

Today it is a protected monument under the State Archaeology Department. The Chandragiri region was rejoined to the State of Kerala through the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, Government of India. There are eight view towers with peeranky holes from which the sea route can be guarded closely. The main watch tower is facing north. On the eastern and western side there are two underground passages. A deep well and a pond with flight of steps are there inside the fort. The fort with an area of 7.76 acres is now protected monument under the department of Archaeology. The ruins of the massive 17th century fort sprawled on the banks of the Chandragiri river is a place of immense importance to archaeology and history students.

Chandragiri Fort Location:

Village - Kalnad, Taluk - Kasargod, District - Kasargod, Location - About 3kms from Melparambu to Chandragiri H.S. Road in the Kanjangad - Bekal - Kasargod route.

Attractions :

A ruined fort, a vantage point offering a breathtaking view of the river, coconut groves and the Arabian sea.

Getting there :

Nearest railway station: Kasaragod, about 4 km away.

Nearest airports: Mangalore in neighbouring State of Karnataka, about 50 km from Kasargod town; Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode , about 200 km.

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